Is subjectivity just a matter of context?

[Confused Ape]

The dichotomy of subjectivity versus objectivity doesn't apply to real objects. Anything that is real is objectively real. Nothing can be subjectively real.

From one of the NASA sites.

Atoms And Empty Space

Q: I understand that atoms are mostly empty space, so is the solidity of objects an illusion? If I am looking at a chair, am I looking mostly at empty space?

A: You are right, atoms are mostly empty space. However, we cannot see this because we look at everything with visible light. Light waves have a characteristic size that is bigger than an atom, so they cannot tell us anything about the tiny structure of an atom.

Light waves passing through atoms behave similarly to water waves passing over pebbles on the beach. The characteristic size of the wave is known as the wavelength. This is the distance between one crest and the next. If a water wave has a wavelength of a few feet, it will be unaffected by pebbles as it approaches the beach. The wavelength is bigger than the pebbles. If we watch these waves, we won't know the pebbles are there. However, if the waves encounter a large boat, they will be diverted around the hull, and we can easily see that.

The light waves we use to look at everything have a short wavelength, but they are still bigger than an atom. For example, yellow light has a wavelength of about 0.58 micrometers. In comparison, an atom has a radius of about 0.00005 micrometers. People have used X-rays to image crystals, because X-rays have wavelengths about 500-1000 times smaller than light. These images can show the location of the atoms, but not their contents.

You make a good point about the chair. It appears to be solid, but it is mostly empty space. It resists crushing because the electrons of the chair atoms cannot easily be compressed together. Charged particles repel other particles of the same charge.

So, what is objectively real about the chair? Our experience of it as a solid object or the fact that it's mostly empty space?